You go to Tools → Export, click Download Export File, and… nothing useful happens. The page times out, the browser downloads a tiny or empty file, or you get a white screen. On a site with years of posts, this is extremely common — and it’s almost always the same cause. Here’s how to get a complete, valid export.
Why the export fails on large sites
WordPress builds the entire XML file in memory before sending it to your browser. On a big site that bumps into your server’s PHP limits — usually memory_limit (how much RAM the script can use) or max_execution_time (how long it’s allowed to run). When either is exceeded, the export aborts midway, leaving you with a truncated or empty file.
Good news: you don’t need a developer to fix it. Try these in order.
Fix 1 — Export in chunks (easiest, no server access)
The native export tool lets you filter what it includes. Instead of All content in one go:
- Export Posts only, then Pages only, as separate files.
- For very large blogs, narrow Posts further by date range (e.g. year by year) using the date dropdowns.
You’ll end up with several smaller XML files — which is fine. ZeroPress accepts multiple XML files in one migration, so you can upload them all together.
Fix 2 — Raise PHP limits temporarily
If you can edit server config (or ask your host), bump the limits before exporting:
memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
These usually live in php.ini, or you can set them in your hosting control panel. Most hosts will raise them for a few minutes if you open a ticket explaining you’re doing a one-time export.
Fix 3 — Use WP-CLI (if you have SSH)
With command-line access, WP-CLI skips the browser entirely, so there’s no timeout to hit:
wp export --dir=/path/to/save
This writes the export straight to disk on the server, and handles large sites far more reliably than the browser tool.
Fix 4 — Use a migration/backup plugin
If the native tool simply won’t cooperate, a backup plugin (UpdraftPlus, All-in-One WP Migration, etc.) can produce an export or archive you extract the content from. Heavier, but it works when everything else fails.
Check your export isn’t truncated
Before you rely on it, sanity-check the file:
- It shouldn’t be 0 KB or suspiciously tiny.
- It should open in a text editor and end with
</rss>(a cut-off file ends mid-tag). - Spot-check that your most recent posts are actually in there.
You’ve got your XML — now what?
Once you have a complete export (one file or several), the next step is bringing it into your new static site. (Here’s how the import works.) ZeroPress is built to handle large and multi-file exports, so you don’t have to merge anything by hand — and it preserves your URLs so your rankings move across intact. One-time, no monthly bill. (See pricing.)
New to this? Start with the full WordPress XML export guide, or run the free migration checker to see whether your site can go static at all — no login required.